Container with sealing cover

ABSTRACT

A container includes a base, a cover and an intermediate part. The base includes a first room and a first lip extends from the open top of the base. The cover includes a second room and a second lip extends from the open bottom of the cover. The intermediate part includes a third room and a third lip extends from the open top of the third room. The cover is mounted to the base with the intermediate part located between the cover and the base. The cover seals the base and the intermediate part by one-time pressing action. The base includes at least one plate which is engaged with a recess formed to the outside of the second lip of the cover to secure the cover to the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fields of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container with a sealing cover.

2. Descriptions of Related Art

The conventional containers generally include a base and a cover which is mounted to the base. Some containers may have an intermediate part that is located between the base and the cover. However, the cover is not perfectly matched with the base so that leakage happens between the base and the cover. On the contrary, when the cover is mounted to the base too tight, the cover is difficult to be removed from the base. In addition, the cover or the baes may be broken if too much force is applied to the cover or the base when opening the cover. Once the base or the cover is broken, the container cannot be functioned as expected, which means two more plastic waste are created.

The intermediate part usually lacks sealing feature and is simply supported along the lip of the base. Therefore, liquid in the intermediate part can easily be mixed with other food in the base to affect taste of the food. Besides, because of the poor design, the user's fingers can easily touch the food stored in the intermediate part.

Commonly, the base, the cover and the intermediate part has a thin wall which is easily deformed, and cannot have satisfied anti-leak features.

The present invention intends to provide a container that has a sealing cover and an intermediate part to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a container and comprises a base having a first room with an open top, and a first lip extends the open top of the base. A bent portion extends outward from the first lip. Two first lugs respectively extend from the first lip, and each lug has plate extending therefrom. Each plate has a boss formed on one face thereof. A cover includes a second room with an open bottom, and a second lip extends from the open bottom of the cover. The second lip includes a skirt and a first annular groove. The skirt is formed to the outside of the second lip and the first annular groove is formed between the inner periphery of the open bottom of the cover and the skirt. Two second lugs respectively extend from the second lip. Each second lug has a recess defined centrally therein. An intermediate part includes a third room with an open top. The third room is shallower than that of the first room of the base. A third lip extends from the open top of the third room and is step-shaped. The third lip of the intermediate part covers up and matched with the first lip of the base. The second lip of the cover is mounted to and presses onto the third lip. At least one support protrudes from the inner periphery of the third room. An extension extends from the top of the at last one support and is higher than the top of the third lip.

Preferably, an upright wall of the third lip, an upright wall of the first lip, and an upright wall of the first annular groove each are less than 90 degrees.

Preferably, the at least one support includes a second annular groove which is formed with the extension.

Preferably, the shape of the base is matched with or not matched with the shape of the intermediate part. The base and the intermediate part are geometric shape.

Preferably, a separator is located in the third room of the intermediate part.

Preferably, the bent portion of the base and the skirt of the cover are step-shaped.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a container wherein the cover and the base are sealed by multiple layers of sealing features by way of pressing the engaging.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that is strong, durable and re-usable without damage.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the container of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view to show the container of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows that the intermediate part is to be mounted to the base in sequence;

FIG. 3-1 shows that the cover is to be mounted to the combination of the intermediate part and the base;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view to show that the cover is to be mounted to the combination of the intermediate part and the base;

FIG. 4-1 shows the two plates to be pivoted to engage the two respective bosses of the base with the recesses of the cover;

FIG. 5 shows that the container of the present invention is tilt;

FIG. 6 shows multiple containers of the present invention are piled up;

FIG. 7 shows that a user picks the intermediate part out from the base;

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the container of the present invention, and

FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of the container of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the container of the present invention comprises a base 1, a cover 2 and an intermediate part 3.

The base 1 includes a first room 11 defined therein for food storage, and the first room 11 forms an open top of the base 1. A first lip 12 extends from the periphery of the open top of the base 1. A bent portion 121 extends outward from the first lip 12 and is a step-shaped portion so as to reinforce structural strength of the open top of the base 1. Two first lugs 13 respectively extend from the first lip 12, and each lug 13 has a plate 131 extending therefrom which is a flexible plate. Each plate 131 has a boss 132 formed on the top face thereof.

The cover 2 includes a second room 21 with an open bottom. A second lip 22 extends from the periphery of the open bottom of the cover 2. The second lip 22 integrally includes a skirt 222 and a first annular groove 221. The skirt 222 is formed to the outside of the second lip 22, and the first annular groove 221 is formed between the inner periphery of the open bottom of the cover 2 and the skirt 222. The skirt 222 of the cover 2 is a step-shaped portion. Two second lugs 23 respectively extend from the second lip 22, and each second lug 23 has a U-shaped recess 231 defined centrally therein. The second lugs 23 reinforce structural strength of the cover 2 to prevent from being deformed.

The intermediate part 3 includes a third room 31 with an open top. The third room 31 is shallower than that of the first room 11 of the base 1, such that the intermediate part 3 is suitable supported along the first lip 12 of the base 1. A third lip 32 extends from the periphery of the open top of the third room 31. The third lip 32 is step-shaped. When the intermediate part 3 is supported along the first lip 12 of the base 1, the third lip 32 of the intermediate part 3 covers up and is matched with the first lip 12 of the base 1. The second lip 22 of the cover 2 is then mounted to and presses onto the third lip 32. At least one support 33 protrudes from the inner periphery of the third room 31. An extension 332 extends from the top of the at least one support 33, and the extension 332 is then bent outward and downward to form a second annular groove 331 which is formed between the extension 332 and the third lip 32. It is noted that the extension 332 of the at least one support 33 is higher than the top of the third lip 32 such that the users can easily pick the intermediate part 3 by holding the extension 332.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 3-1, in order to ensure that the intermediate part 3 and the base 1 are tightly connected with each other, the upright wall “A” of the third lip 32, the upright wall “a” of the first lip 12, and the upright wall “a” of the first annular groove 221 each are less than 90 degrees, preferably, 75 degrees. Accordingly, when the intermediate part 3 is put onto the base 1, the third lip 32 is not engaged with the first lip 12. When the cover 2 is mounted to the base 1, the inner top of the cover 2 presses the extension 332 of the at least one supports 33 to press the third lip 32 to be in contact with the first lip 12. After pressing the cover 2 toward the base 1, the extension 332 of the at least one supports 33 is slightly deformed inward, and the third lip 32 is slightly expanded outward and is engaged with the first lip 12. The second lip 22 is matched with the third lip 32 and engaged with the first lip 12. The upright wall “A” of the third lip 32, the upright wall “a” of the first lip 12, and the upright wall “a” of the first annular groove 221 are tightly matched with each other to have sealing features between the base 1, the intermediate part 3 and the cover 2.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 4-1, after the intermediate part 3 is put in the base 1, and the cover 2 is mounted to the base 1, the user pivots the plates 131 to engage the bosses 132 on the plates 131 with the recesses 231 of the cover 2. The base 1, the cover 2 and the intermediate part 3 are firmly combined with each other.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the container includes two independent rooms separated by the intermediate part 3 so that different food are respectively stored in the two independent rooms without worry of being mixed with each other. Even when the container is tilt as shown in FIG. 5, because the specific shape and structure of the first lip 12, the second lip 22 and the third lip 32, the food in the container does not leak. The containers are strong enough so that the containers can also be piled up as shown in FIG. 6. The cover 2 is opened by disengaging the bosses 132 from the recesses 231, and the user can easily pick the intermediate part 3 out from the base 1 as shown in FIG. 7 by holding the extension 332 and lifting the intermediate part 3 out from the base 1.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the shape of the base 1 is matched with or not matched with the shape of the intermediate part 3. The base 1 and the intermediate part 3 can be any geometric shape. As shown in FIG. 9, a separator 34 is located in the third room 31 of the intermediate part 3 to organize different food.

The container of the present invention includes the advantages which are that the base 1, the cover 2 and the intermediate part 3 each have a specific lip 12, 22, 32 which are tightly engaged with each other to prevent from leakage. The base 1, the cover 2 and the intermediate part 3 are strong and easily assembled and dis-assembled. The containers are not deformed when the containers are piled up. The plates 131 and the bosses 132 of the base 1 are engaged with the recesses 231 of the cover 2 to firmly combine the cover 2 and the base 1. The extension 332 is higher than the third lip 32 so that the user can easily pick the intermediate part 3 out from the base 1 without touching the food in the intermediate part 3.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A container comprising: a base (1) having a first room (11) with an open top, a first lip (12) extending from a periphery of the open top of the base (1), a bent portion (121) extending outward from the first lip (12), two first lugs (13) respectively extending from the first lip (12), each first lug (13) having a plate (131) extending therefrom which is a flexible plate, each plate (131) having a boss (132) formed on a face thereof; a cover (2) having a second room (21) with an open bottom, a second lip (22) extending from a periphery of the open bottom of the cover (2), a skirt (222) extending from the second lip (22) and a first annular groove (221) formed between the second lip (22) and the skirt (222), two second lugs (23) respectively extending from the second lip (22), each second lug (23) having a recess (231) defined centrally therein, and an intermediate part (3) having a third room (31) with an open top, the third room (31) being shallower than that of the first room (11) of the base (1), a third lip (32) extending from a periphery of the open top of the third room (31) and being step-shaped, the third lip (32) of the intermediate part (3) covering up and being matched with the first lip (12) of the base (1), the second lip (22) of the cover (2) mounted to and pressing onto the third lip (32), at least one support (33) protruding from an inner periphery of the third room (31), an extension (332) extending from a top of the at last one support (33).
 2. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upright wall (A) of the third lip (32), an upright wall (a) of the first lip (12), and an upright wall (a′) of the first annular groove (221) each are less than 90 degrees.
 3. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one support (33) includes a second annular groove (331) which is formed with the extension (332).
 4. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shape of the base (1) is matched with or not matched with a shape of the intermediate part (3), the base (1) and the intermediate part (3) are geometric shape.
 5. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a separator (34) is located in the third room (31) of the intermediate part (3).
 6. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bent portion (121) of the base (1) and the skirt (222) of the cover (2) are step-shaped.
 7. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extension (332) of the at least one support (33) is higher than a top of the third lip (32). 